Last month the Uncommon OGREs and ACD Distribution sheets arrived from Warehouse 23. I’ve split the Nihon, Vatican, and Nassau OGREs into their respective factions. Here’s the ACD forces (with the Anarchist Relief Front making an appearance at top right):

This one is packaged a complete rules supplement with new units and scenarios. Highly recommended!

(You can also see a few of the Strategic & Tactical Objectives in the background of the Nihon pic. Not depicted are the BGG units [which include the BGGzilla and the OGRE Ninja] and additional Uncommon OGREs.)

Here’s another solitaire review from the OGRE Scenario Book 1. This time, I’m looking at Kill the OGRE, by Barry Stockinger.

The premise here is that a newly-assembled OGRE Mk. III is activating over several turns and an attacking force must damage (or destroy) it before it is fully ‘awake’. Each turn, new weapon systems come online, and eventually it can move (and escape). As with all Scenario Book missions, this takes place on the original OGRE map.

So I’ve been trying out a few of the missions from the OGRE Scenario Book 1, first released in 2001 and now available as a PDF from W23.

It includes seven complete scenarios created in response to a design contest, each requiring only the original OGRE map. At the time, I had started putting together some missions of my own but (regrettably) never submitted anything. [I did create twoscenarios for this year’s Fan Scenario Contest, but have yet to hear anything back.]

The contents of the book are a bit uneven, but I’ll concentrate on the gems. First up is Spoiling Attack, by C. Andrew Walters.

The gist of the mission is that a small defending force is guarding a “hidden” Mk. III against a strike team. The OGRE is concealed in one of seven potential sites in the northern third of the original OGRE map. The attacker has to damage it and flee; no victory points are gained by destroying defending units and you must exit at least part of your force.

If you’re waiting – like me – for your Nihon sponsored counter sheets to arrive, here’s something related to the Nihon Invasion but without the custom counters. Back in the day, Keith Johnson’s created a scenario called “The Nihon Invasion of San Francisco” featuring an amazing USGS map. [Remember – this was before Google Maps!] I printed a colour copy on an 11×17 sheet and had it laminated, wrote this scenario, then had great fun pushing little paper chits around.

I wonder how easy it would be to get a large-format version printed today…

It is 2101 and the Combine has fallen. The Nihon Empire avidly monitored its collapse, and now sets its eyes on invasion. Spies and agents loyal to Nihon have infiltrated positions along the west coast, reporting military intelligence back to the Heavenly Empire.

But there is a problem.

A Nihon defector, a high-ranking spy, has made contact with San Franciscan authorities. He possesses detailed knowledge of the planned invasion; information which would jeopardize the entire North American operation if revealed. It is a desperate situation for Nihon; drastic measures are called for. It is time to contact the sleeper agent…

…An old program hidden deep within a computer AI has been activated; a hidden voice issues new commands to an OGRE. Turning south from its previously assigned mission, it acquires a new target. Its goal is to reach the turncoat before he reveals Nihon’s invasion plans.